Australia’s white-ball assistant coach Daniel Vettori is hoping that a lengthy stint in T20 format during the Indian Premier League (IPL) will not hinder preparations of his players, especially key all-rounder Cameron Green.
Vettori said a strong performance in the IPL 2023 has boosted the confidence of Green and the young allrounder is looking forward to doing well in his maiden Test tour of the United Kingdom.
Green was among the last players to join the Australia squad as he arrived late following his stint with Mumbai Indians in IPL Playoffs and joined the squad that had a four-day acclimatisation stint in Formby near Liverpool.
Despite joining the squad just 24 hours ago, Green was at hand as the Aussies’ held their first major training session in Beckenham on Thursday ahead of their campaign in World Test Championship final and Ashes series.
“Any cricket is preparation now. He is doing work in the background to make sure his bowling loads are up and he is actually ready for Test cricket,” Vettori told reporters on Thursday.
“We look at it like if you are involved in high-intensity, high-class cricket, we are happy with that as it means you are playing cricket,” Vettori was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
“The hardest thing for guys is coming out of nothing and that might be a challenge for a couple of guys who have had an extended break and how they get up to speed as quickly as possible,” said Vettori.
It was the first time that the full 17-man Aussie squad had assembled, with auxiliary pacemen Michael Neser and Sean Abbott also linking up with the group for a day-long centre-wicket nets practice.
Green, despite missing the squad’s easing-in period, had a lengthy batting session on lively training wickets prepared at the Kent out-ground in southeast suburban London.
Green, who struck a 47-ball century at the Wankhede Stadium 11 days ago that propelled Mumbai Indians into the IPL Playoffs, is hoping that his stint in the shorter format will help him and not hinder his preparations for the Test matches upfront. The Australian coaching staff are looking on the bright side of the 23-year-old’s white-ball heavy lead-in to the six-Test tour, cricket.com.au said in a report on Friday.
Vettori said they are satisfied with his preparations as Green played in the Playoffs, unlike the other Australian Test squad members that played in IPL.
Green is a crucial member of the Aussies squad as they bid to claim their maiden WTC title and reclaim their first Ashes series abroad in over two decades.
“It’s great to have him back,” Vettori was quoted as saying about Green, who scored his first Test ton in Ahmedabad in March before averaging more than 50 with a strike rate above 160 in the IPL.
“He offers so much to the team and had a great series in India for us and then is coming off the back of a successful IPL. It’s great he’s got some confidence he’s a huge part of the side,” he said.
Meanwhile, opener David Warner, who returned from IPL with Mitchell Marsh and Josh Hazlewood a week earlier, sent a scare through the camp when he suffered a nasty knock to his left arm while batting. He needed treatment on the same arm as the one on which he fractured his elbow earlier this year to cut short his Test tour of India.
But the opener, whose place in the Test side has been all but assured for the early stages of the UK tour, shook off the blow and was the last player to leave the nets in the afternoon, the report said.
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